#except rupert rupert can fuck himself

[mintneve]

Literally laughing with tears still wet on my cheeks from the Ted Lasso season 1 finale. Why the fuck did it take me so long to watch this show?!

[hacash]

I don’t necessarily think Zava’s arc was pointless, but I do wonder if it’s foreshadowing towards what I suspect will be a wider point - that while we all need community and to be good to one another, you also shouldn’t wait around for someone to save you. You need to put in the work yourself.

Zava was set up as the team’s messiah, the man who was going to pull them all out of last place and win the whole fucking thing. It’s important to note that Richmond didn’t necessarily need this - their first match of the season they started off patchy but ultimately played decently, thanks to the team coming together mid-match to plan out a new strategy and Dani’s goal-scoring face. They were doing the work. 

But then people like Higgins and Rebecca saw Zava as an easy short-cut to victory, and while Zava was good (I don’t even see him as a villain, just odd and oblivious) he made the Greyhounds lazy. Everything hung on Zava scoring the goals. Except that’s too much to hang on one person during a team sport: not even the great Zava could carry Richmond through their downhill slump in episode 5 when the rest of the team had lost their mojo. And then, when he left, the team were basically fucked.

And don’t forget, the team only began to lose their mojo when their other big symbol of victory - the Believe sign - is destroyed. The symbol of Ted’s unique style of coaching is broken, and suddenly everything the team has learned over the past couple of seasons seems to fly out the window. Their belief isn’t in themselves, but in the Believe sign, in Ted, in some sort of higher power ‘making them’ win. And that’s not enough. Once again, they were hanging onto a placebo, and it didn’t work.

(Ironically, it’s the same journey Nate’s been on all season - from taking that validation from people like Ted and Rupert, to having confidence in himself.)

Like a lot of people, I suspect Ted will be going back to Kansas at the end of the season, but I wonder if it’s going to be about more than just being with Henry. I wonder if, like Mary Poppins, he feels he’s done all he can. He’s imparted all the wisdom to the team, but he can’t be their symbol for ‘everything’s going to turn out alright because we believe in Ted and that’s enough’ forever. The show’s all about mentorship, and as Higgins says, a good mentor prepares you for going out on your own.

[f1amboyant]

I was tagged what feels like a million years ago by @f1-stuff (thank youuu ❤️ Sorry it took me so long to get to it 🤍)

Share a snippet of a current WIP!

I only have 2 WIPs at the moment (even though I have a looooot of ideas for other stuff), so here is a little snippet of a/b/o charlos 🫣

They don’t usually work out together. No, scratch that. They never work out together. It’s not that they actively avoid each other for one reason or another. It’s not because they’re Alpha and Omega. It’s just how it is. Andrea and Rupert train them with very different methods, in very different locations, at very different times, so Charles and Carlos never work out together.

Until they do.

It was bound to happen really. After all, they run in the same circle, work with the same team, go to the same location every race weekend. It was absolutely, undoubtedly, bound to happen, yet Charles never thought about it. If he had to put a thought to it, he would have said that yeah, of course he could work out next to Carlos. Why not? Because his teammate is an Omega? Come on. He’s not some mindless animal, he can control himself.

He can’t.

He absolutely undoubtedly can’t. One step inside the gym and he suddenly realizes his mistake. The sweet sweet scent of Omega, of Carlos, fills his lungs and all Charles’ blood runs south. He stumbles inside the room, dizzy with want and omegaomegaomega. His eyes jump from equipment to equipment until he finds him. Fuck.

Carlos is leaning down on one of the benches, lifting weights with strong and beautiful arms. Soft enticing groans escapes his mouth with every set. His feet lay flat on the floor and his thighs spread wide.

Charles cannot think straight.

“Okay, one more. Come on.”

The voice tears him out of his daze just enough to see Rupert, standing right beside Carlos, monitoring his driver like any trainer would do. Charles gets the sudden urge to growl and shove him away from Carlos, from the Omega.

Mine.

Fuck. That’s not good.

Flushed from head to toe, with a hard on he can barely conceal and a brain slowly leaking out of his ears, Charles leaves flees. He barricades himself into his room, jerks off in shame, then takes a shower and goes out for a run. He’ll train in the gym later (he’ll probably have to ask Andrea to find another gym entirely for him if he wants to get anything done).

This time, he actively avoids Carlos. His inner Alpha is screaming at him to get closer to the Omega of their dream, but no. Charles is a very good and very respectful Alpha. He knows to get away from the room and give him some privacy when Carlos’ hormones go haywire. Is he going into heat? Is that why his scent was so strong? Maybe. But Charles will not pry.

(He sometimes fantasizes about being with Carlos during one of his heats. In those shameful moments of pining, he gets so hard he can barely think straight and he pops his knot into his unfulfilling fist almost every single time, imagining someone else with him (Carlos)).

Is he in love with Carlos? Maybe.

Is he lusting over his teammate? Definitely. From quite some time now. Nothing can really happen between them though. They are teammates. That would be such a mess. And mostly, Carlos never said anything to indicate he would be interested too (Charles hasn’t said anything either) (Charles doesn’t count their constant touching) (Carlos is tactile with everyone, it doesn’t mean anything if he touches Charles a lot) (A LOT) (even if Charles wants it to mean something) (even if Charles’ skin blaze with every single contact and his heart hammers in his chest painfully wanting)

ANYWAY.

This is behind the point. The point is Charles is a good and respectful Alpha and he retreats to his room, trying not to bother Carlos.

Except, there’s a knock at the door and when Charles opens it, Carlos is right there, smelling like heatheatheatheat. Charles’ mouth waters so fast he might get dehydrated and die.

“You’re in heat,” Charles blurts out.

That explains the strong scent in the gym earlier. That explains the intoxicating sweetness permeating the air on Charles’ door step and slowly filling his lungs. Charles never actually smelled Carlos’ heat before but there’s no mistaking that particular scent.

Carlos raises an eyebrow.

“I know, cabrón. I just…” he trails off, looking for his words, voice ruff and a little unsure.

He scratches at his neck, like he often does while thinking and Charles’ eyes narrow down on the thick column of the exposed neck. He wants to BITE.

“Can I come in?”

“But you’re in heat. How…? How do you…? Why…?”

Charles doesn’t know how to end his sentence. His brain shut off and doesn’t seem to work properly anymore. When Carlos threads his fingers through his hair and sends a new wave of sweet sweet Omega in heat scent, Charles nearly collapses. Fuck.

“I know I usually spend my heats with Lando,” Carlos is saying, voice still a little raspy. “But he is not here. So can I stay with you?”

“I’m not Lando,” Charles answers immediately.

I’m not an Omega, he really wants to say. But he is dumb. Stupid. So so stupid.

“I know, cabrón.” Carlos laughs and that sweet sweet sound goes straight to Charles’ crotch. Fuuuuuck. “But I trust you. I need someone I can feel safe with. Please?”

[kingofthering]

charlos + hands

Charles’ hands are on him the moment the door gets closed behind them and Carlos gets pushed against it.

“Finally,” Charles bites against his lips before kissing Carlos deeply again, his fingers tightened in Carlos’ hair at the base of his nape. His nails scrape Carlos’ skull and Charles licks into Carlos’ mouth and Carlos lets him take and take and take. As much as he wants. Always.

“I miss your long hair, why did you cut it?” Charles mumbles against Carlos’ jaw, making a line to his ear and sucking a kiss just at the hinge of Carlos’ jaw before drawing back, taking both Carlos’ sweatshirt and his t-shirt off at the same time. “And you shaved your arms' hair too. What was that about?”

He’s got a genuine frown between his brows, bordering on a pout, and Carlos chuckles, rolling his eyes fondly. He’s always been aware of how much Charles likes to play with his hair, gripping them when they’re fucking or petting them when they’re watching a movie together. The arms’ hair is a new thing. Carlos files it away in a drawer of his brain.

“Just trying to look nice every now and then,” he shrugs. And he needs to cut his hair before they start getting in front of his eyes and it frustrates the fuck out of him. There is nothing more to it.

“Well, you looked better before,” Charles simply states in that way he has of saying things like they’re universal truths that other people are too stupid to grasp easily. Carlos has always found it endearing. Today is not an exception.

“Any other complaints to make? And can we please move this to a bed? The handle of the door is currently crushing my lower back.”

Charles winces for a second and then he’s grabbing Carlos’ hand, pulling him to the bed. “Take off your clothes?” He asks gently, some of the high energy from just a couple of minutes ago already burnt off.

Carlos doesn’t have much left but he gets himself down to his underwear and sits down on the mattress with his back against the head of the bed, already knowing where this is going.

To prove him right, he barely has to wait a handful of seconds to have an almost-naked Charles climbing on his lap, knees on either side of his hips, arms on his shoulders, laced behind Carlos’ neck.

It’s always been Charles’ favorite position for them to talk and connect, enjoying both the physical proximity and the fact that they can easily tease each other into moving the action in another direction if they want to.

“What took you so long?” Charles asks once he’s all settled down. Carlos puts his hands on his waist, thumbs sweeping over his naked skin. “To get here,” Charles adds when Carlos only raises an eyebrow at him.

“Well, see, I had to take a plane from Madrid to Milan, then a car and—”

“Carlos,” Charles interrupts him, the annoyance easy to read on the lines of his forehead. “You know that’s not what I meant. I’ve been here for over a week already and we haven’t seen each other in a month, I just thought— I don’t know, I thought you were free of other commitments and could get here earlier. I missed you.”

Carlos only arrived at the mountains that afternoon with Rupert. They spent dinner with Charles and his friends before Charles got him back to his hotel room, and now they’re here.

The truth is, yes Carlos could have gotten here earlier. The thing is, he won’t admit to Charles that until the last second, he wasn’t even sure if that was a good idea for him to come at all.

He knows that Charles offered, before the end of the season, casual and all that. Charles says a lot of stuff casually that don’t end up happening. There is a thing such as spending part of the holidays with your teammate and there is another thing, such as spending part of the holidays with your teammate in his room in a way-too-goddamn-romantic place.

Hooking up with Charles and getting closer to him has been the highlight of Carlos’ second half of the season but they haven’t been good with putting words on whatever it is that they’re doing. Sometimes Carlos feels like he’s walking on eggshells and he’s one wrong move away from crushing everything.

He’s not strong enough to tell all that to Charles today, no, not when he just arrived and he looks so perfect right there in his arms. Instead of pouring his heart out, Carlos says “I’m sorry” and he kisses the corner of Charles’ mouth and asks “Let me make it up to you” and Charles nods, bringing them impossibly closer.

Send me a word + a pairing and I'll write a little something.

[thetarttfuldickhead]

Zava retired, but they didn't say anything about paying out his contract (and freeing him from his obligations to Richmond that way), right? He left, but he'd still be their player if he did return to football...

... Unless he expressed an interest in returning and was, say, ioaned to West Ham, in exchange for them covering the cost of his contract, a la Jamie in Season 1 getting loaned to Richmond...

Hiya, nonny!

I am very much not an expert on these matters, but from what little digging around I’ve done, it seems unlikely that Zava would have any obligations to Richmond at this point. Either he terminated his contract early and paid compensation for it, or he and Richmond reached an agreement and tore up the contract on the understanding that Zava would leave the sport entirely. The latter seems unlikely, given that he just disappeared and the club only learned of his retirement via social media, but maybe something was agreed upon afterwards. Or maybe Zava exploited the fact that the contract wasn’t signed with his name but with “you’re welcome”… or maybe there was always a very special “free to leave at will” clause in Zava’s contract, because he had the leverage to push for that? Either way, I think it’s reasonable to assume that Zava has no obligations to Richmond at this point. (I might be utterly mistaken, though.)

That being said, I am hugely invested in him making a return for the final match against West Ham! That, I think, is actually made easier if Zava’s completely free of Richmond because I’m not sure they’d agree to loan him out to their greatest rival – I mean, this is not some young player needing a bit more time on the pitch than his mother club can offer him at this point, this is a superstar! One who might admittedly have performed underwhelmingly in the end, but still not the sort of player you just want to give away to someone else? And when that someone else is Rupert… yeah, I don’t see Rebecca going for it (unless they have a secret hope that Zava’s diva antics will wreak havoc with the West Ham team? That strikes me as a bit far-fetched, but who knows). But if Zava is free of his Richmond obligations, he could choose to join West Ham and, well. Then we’ll have the Zava versus Jamie showdown some of us are bloody well dying for.

Just. The team will be shocked when the hear the news, of course. (God, I cannot even begin to imagine Dani’s reaction. That poor boy.) Probably also rather dejected – how the fuck are they going to win now?

Then imagine Jamie’s face… How he’s maybe a bit thrown but he is determined and he’s a bit put out because fucking Zava again and why the fuck is the team going crazy over that idiot again but maybe he’s also a little tiny bit eager because he knows how much he has improved and he wants to beat that arrogant prick… and he’s a little nervous, too, because what if he can’t? You know Phil Dunster would fucking slay at subtly portraying all these emotions as Jamie sits quietly in the chaos erupting around him.

And then there’s an “Oi!” cutting through the din and that’s Roy Kent now, looking as annoyed as ever: “So they got Zava? So fucking what? We’ve got Jamie fucking Tartt.”

And so they do. And so they win. Regardless of what we actually get on the screen (which certainly isn’t guaranteed to involve Zava or a final game against West Ham) there’ll forever be a moment in my mind, of Zava gearing up for another insane goal, except Jamie’s there and steals the ball and outruns, outdribbles and outplays every single opponent until he’s in the perfect position to score a perfect goal. And after that Zava comes after him again and again but he can’t touch him; Jamie is (to steal a quote from Good Omens) finally and forever on his own ground, and while Zava plays only for himself, Jamie plays for a team now, and after his intial goal keeps setting his teammates up for opportunity and opportunity and Ted's total football and teamwork saves the day. (And Jamie. Jamie also saves the day.)

(I’m also fond of a scenario where instead of Roy mentioning Jamie before the game begins, Richmond is down after the first half, and Roy declares something along the lines of: “We need to start challenge Zava heads-on or we’ll be fucking slaughtered. Jamie, you need to go out there and be an utter fucking prick. Be the most Jamie Tartt you’ve ever fucking been.” Or Jamie asks for it, recognizing that the time to be a prick has very much arrived, and Ted looks at Roy, maybe a little concerned that this is a step away from their carefully cultivated total football approach, but Roy just nods, and Ted gives the go-ahead.)

(As I’ve stated previously, I don’t actually want Richmond to win the Premier League, but maybe they can still win the final game. Some other match ends in a way that has them coming in second rather than first in spite of beating West Ham, or some such.)

(It’s interesting to note, though, that if a player terminates his contract without just cause during the protected period, sporting bans might be imposed on them, which would ban Zava from playing for four or even six month after he left Richmond. Ted Lasso might not care about that, or might claim that the four months have passed by the time he joins West Ham.)

Too many parentheses there. Oh, well.

I’ll take the liberty of tagging @sabra-n and @itsalinh here, as they have been generous with their football expertise in the past. Maybe they can shed some lights on the ins and outs of terminating contracts early?

[jamietarttownsmyheart]

idk if anyone’s said this yet but “midnight rain” by taylor swift is lowkey a colinjamie song. “he was sunshine” (colin) “i was midnight rain” (jamie)

YES YES YESSSSS OMG YES YOU GET IT

first, i wanna apologize, i took way longer answering this than i expected, real life caught up with me, but!! midnight rain and colinjamie!! you are SO correct anon.

(unrelated, you're on your own kid is a jamie song)

but back to midnight rain, i mean, im really interested in your thoughts anon! how are you interpreting it?

one way of looking at it i think could be a canon compliant au of sorts.

I was making my own name Chasing that fame He stayed the same All of me changed like midnight

like just this part? football is an escape for jamie, its a career for jamie, but its the same for colin!

but we can go deeper for both. jamie and football is complicated. for one, he loves it, he's amazing at it, he dominates, when he plays, he's jamie fucking tartt. but what is it really? he didn't grow up privileged, he didn't grow up in a stable environment. he grew up with a mom who wanted him to be happy and a father who did everything he could to make sure jamie wasn't. and its complicated because jamie playing football was what made him happy, and he wanted his mom to be proud of him. and then his dad comes back in the picture, and he wants jamie to play and jamie wants him to be proud but its a different want--its a want that one)every child has for their parent to be proud and 2)the hope that if james tartt sr is proud maybe he'll lay off.

football is something similar to colin. he loves it, but it also has brought him grief--after the team in Cardiff got relegated, he did face backlash from his family--like his grandmother for example. it also has the potential to bring more grief, as sports (and football) do tend to have a homophobic fanbase irl, and its been implied that colin is into men, and while a sexuality isnt confirmed, the implication that he is at least attracted to men is there (unless the grindr comment was incorporated as a joke, which, im hoping the writers didnt do it just for that) leading room for more pain.

there is also the third point--Jamie has the makings of being great, while Nate tells Colin that he does not. (chasing that fame/he stayed the same)

I think an au where fwb colinjamie happens pre-ted lasso's arrival is interesting, as one, it would be a secret, as both colinjamie have reasons for it to be, and two, you said midnight rain and now im thinking of the conversation of wanting to become official (albeit still secret) sort of contributing to the (he was sunshine/i was midnight rain) where they end things instead.

timeline-wise, it could be like:

jamie comes to richmond--jamiecolin fwb but end it after a month--jamie+keeley meet--rupert/rebecca divorce--ted lasso arrival.

except see, i dont want to go that route bc i dont want it to come off as keeley being the rebound. she is not. its so clear that keeley means something to jamie, and that she did when they were dating too, although jamie himself admits that while the feelinsg were real and there, he probably was not at the best mindset to act on/say the words/take accountability. that actually is true for jamie's season 1 arc--he has many moments in season 1 where you see the potential, to change, the want to change, and the way he actually does make attempts to be better. you see the softness his father tried to get rid of come out--but those moments are quickly overshadowed by jamie doubling down on "dominating" immediately after (or being sent back to man city right when he was trying and making progress and trusting--believing) because his father is very much still a heavily involved force in his life, and no one cares or knows.

so instead like. maybe theyre not fwb yet. maybe its an almost, but neither are ready to take things forward, so they stay friends-ish. maybe canon events happen as they do, but during s2, is when things get tricky.

timeline wise:

jamie comes back and is gradually accepted------jamiecolin fwb---james tartt sr----no weddings and a funeral--jamiecolin lets make it official convo but jamie asks for some time bc he wants to sift through his emotions, talk with his therapist, and give a proper response (he told keeley he loves her, and he did, he does, but that doesnt mean he's pursuing her, or wants to pursue her, he just wants her to know she meant something real, and now he wants to be able to give colin a real answer too, because he wants colin to be something real, colin is something real, he needs to know how to say it)---he loves colin omg he loves colin---tells colin----Richmond is promoted.

so all that^ but with jamie's internal monologue during his talks with his therapist its basically "he's sunshine and i'm midnight rain"

[insanityclause]

The Ted Lasso finale wreaked me. I had a panic attack within the first 5 minutes. I cried. I laughed. I screamed. I cheered. That is how you do it. Damn. I’m going to miss those people. Except Rupert. Rupert can still go fuck himself. 😝

I agree. I loved it. So many parallels and callbacks.

But there are some Tedbecca stans who have gone over the cliff, I'm afraid.

[selenityshiroi]

The Ted Lasso finale was perfectly described as 'bittersweet'.

I liked that it continued the theme of the series of how people can grow and change. How things might not be perfect but you can still find happiness. How sometimes you need to accept losses to make way for future victories. How sometimes a loss isn't the end of the world. How even the worst of people can still try to change (Jamie's dad in rehab) whilst some may never change (Rupert).

But at the same time...I do wish there was a little more resolution. Especially if this is, indeed, the very end of the show.

This would have been a good lead in to a surprise next season. Especially for Ted. The rest of the team is (mostly) in a good place. With the exception of the lack of (onscreen) resolution to Roy, Keeley and Jamie. But Ted? He just...seems to have accepted nothing for himself except being with his son. Which, in and of itself, isn't the worst thing because he loves Henry and wants to be there for him. But you can't have your entire life revolve around one person (even your child). It isn't healthy. If we'd seen a sign of him accepting a new job or even having a new home (instead of just turning up at his ex wife's house with suitcase in hand) then it would have seemed less sad.

For the players and Rebecca I'm okay with their endings. I'm not overwhelmingly happy with boatman and bonus daughter but I'm not overly opposed, either. I'm glad Sam got onto the Nigerian team but less happy that we don't know why Okufu is apparently no longer an obstacle. I'm glad Colin got to kiss his fella but they've avoided the more difficult subject of the rampant homophobia in the world of football by not having to address it with more episodes (although I'm also glad it was just a win for him and not the start of the same 'now it's going to bite you in the ass' storyline we've seen over and over for queer chatacters). But, overall, the team is in a good place.

Beard and Jane...I really wish I knew if the writers understood how bad their relationship comes across? Like...the more extreme parts of their relationships just seem like some joke to them. And, clearly, Beard consents to a lot of stuff. But then they have red flag behaviours everywhere and they just brush it off??? The ropes joke is just clearly them having a safe, sane and consenting sex life. But the passport thing is like 'yikes'.

Also, I don't like that they opened the episode with the baiting scene of Ted and Rebecca. It seemed a bit like a 'haha fuck you' rather than a 'lol, you thought'. I wasn't convinced in Tedbecca nor was it essential to me. But I liked them and I thought they were good together. I'm happy for them to be platonic or romantic. But that opening just felt like the audience were being made fun of rather than them being in on the joke.

Anyway, still a good show and a good episode. But the finale didn't leave me all that satisfied. I didn't walk away thinking 'I'm happy to leave Richmond behind'. But I also didn't walk away thinking 'I absolutely have to have more episodes now'. So it felt partially resolved but not fully. But resolved enough that I don't need more even though I wouldn't mind more. Which is the place where fandoms die in my heart, tbh. Because if I'm not thinking about what comes next (for good or for bad) then I don't think much about them at all.

[variousqueerthings]

okokok I was gonna talk about the structure, but gonna say smthin about ethos instead with structure folded in I guess, which isn't going to be coherent

for me, I can say that ted lasso is not a perfect show (and then I can go on a tangent about there being no perfect shows) and also that actually comedy isn't my favourite genre anyway and include there that I think that it couldn't always balance the comedy, sincerity, and the reality it was attempting to challenge, especially in s3 -- I think an egregious example was rebecca talking about the love of football to a bunch of billionaires, it just stretched too much disbelief and therefore came off less as a natural development and just out-of-nowhere preaching

but then I was having a good time peeking into a little of rupert and rebecca's past relationship when it did work, and it being a scene that makes her able to let him go entirely (and generally I am fine with taking the good out of the bits that don't overall work for me)

anywhomst, there are things, and it also plays into the oddity of s3 not being two seasons (which I had been so sure was going to be the structure, and I was right to think it might not work out and seriously, are they covering up that it was cancelled, conspiracy unlocked)

there were a few things that happened very quickly and weren't explored in the writing (ex. jamie's dad going to rehab, nate making up with his dad after one talk and generally some nate things in s3, part of keeley's narrative in s3, etc.), which was a problem of structure rather than ethos in my opinion. there's story to be explored there, as there is in a fair few things that came and went too quickly on this show, which tbh I'm sure fanfiction can cover (except for the womens team feat. trent crimm show, that needs to happen On My Screen!)

it has gaps in how it can make the points it wants to make -- I've mentioned that in terms of romance too -- but it really really wants to make them nonetheless, flaws and all. it wants to tell the story about a man with mental health issues, who's scared that he'll fuck up his son in the way his dad's suicide affected him, who runs away and finds himself coaching a London football team of men who grow to be better with each other and the world beyond, and its vehicle is football, an intensely international and adaptable sport, with so much fluid potential for expression!

along the way it comes across limitations (either in the amount of time it has to tell the story or in the lack of in-depth knowledge I presume the creators have in radical kindness and community healing politics and philosophies and how they intersect with queer intersectional concepts), but it's made the story despite them, with all its messiness and it ends well. characters heal, start their attempts to heal, continue their journeys to help others around them

I cannot stress enough either how messy league football is, the level that this fictional team plays on. as someone who's been directly affected by the exclusionary ideals that are promoted by the FA it was good to see this fantasy, it was exhilarating to imagine this kind of change happening at that level in the way I have experienced it happening at grassroots levels. its subject matter is so in need of more of this, I hope it inspires more stories with the same core ethos, and I hope these go further and further with its radical ideas

colin kisses his boyfriend at the end! would I have loved to have seen more time to get to there, to have seen it folded into an arc about challenging homophobia in football at an institutional level, to have also had him apologising to nate for his bullying as part of toxic masculinity masking his homosexuality? all of these yes. do I appreciate what the show wants to do here about something that is barely beginning to be properly challenged in reality? yeah yeah yeah!

any of the gaps I think one can play with in fandom, and if that show about the women's team gets made we gently slide them some bell hooks and get megan rapinoe involved somehow

[hiswhiteknight]

Unbelievably Outlandish– Part 9

Summary:  Before starting down a new crossroads, the Reader goes onto an adventure of literary traveling. Suddenly tossed into an unbelievable story that has swept the world, The Outlander Series itself. How will a twenty first century woman survive?

Note: I own no characters, except reader, clearly this is based off the lovely book series Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and tv show. This follows more the tv show, but it’s far from accurate. I’m going to try to get better with using less proper English, but who knows maybe I’ll get into Scottish slang.

Pairing: Jamie Fraser x Female Reader

Words: 1900

 Warning: Angst, playfulness, cursing, slow start, obviously fighting and such

You heard Jamie’s word after he left, ‘You should go up and spend some time with the clan, it might be worth learning a bit more.’ He wasn’t wrong, though it was hard for you to admit it. You took a deep sigh, fixed your hair, and went back up the stairs. You found Mrs. Fitz, who passed you a drink. “Lovely you joined us again Y/N. Everything prepped for the hunt?”

 “Sure is, Mrs. Fitz, sure is, which means I can drink and be merry,” you watched as the line started to dwindle down as the men took their oaths to Colum. “Anything happen after the oath taking, like that musician, will he be playing today. Love that guy,” you smile down at her.

 She looked at you bemused and shook her head, “No, he won’t be playing this evening. There will be dancing later, I’m sure quite a few men would be interested in dancing with you.”

 You shook your head at her, “You are not a match maker Mrs. Fitz. I would not dare to go out on that floor. I would insult the good Mackenzie clan with my lack of grace.” A man tripped over his feet in front of you and stumbled on to find his friends.

“Grace is nothing you need to worry about here dear,” she grinned at you. “Not too difficult to figure out, I’ll have Laoghaire show you later,” she tapped you. Laoghaire stood next to her, giving you a strange look, you were sure you didn’t warrant. Suddenly the room grew quiet and you looked up towards the entrance of the hall. Jamie was weaving through the crowd slowly. He had changed and making his way towards the oath taking line. And every eye was on him, except when you turned to observe everyone’s reaction Murtagh was looking at you. You gripped Mrs. Fitz’s arm and pushed towards Murtagh, there was no way you were taking credit for this.

 When you made yourself up to him, he was towards the back of the room with his hand gripping the top of his sword, “Why do I have a feeling this involves you?”

 “I didn’t do it,” you whispered harshly to him, sounding like a child defending their lack of innocence. He tipped his head over not believing you for a second, “I didn’t do it on purpose, and he told me he could get back just fine.”

 “You don’t understand what you just did to him. You signed his death sentence,” he pulled you back further. Murtagh caught you up in the severity of Jamie’s predicament. With every word, you grew more worrisome and filled with guilt. The thought of not having Jamie to rely on as a friend tousled around in your head. You tried to find a way to free Jamie from this situation and the only thought you could manage was start a fire or faint and you didn’t believe either of those situations would help him out of this.

 It was Jamie’s turn next and you didn’t acknowledge that you started to hold your breath. Suddenly without reason or thought, you grabbed Murtagh’s forearm. And without much thought, Jamie diplomatically got himself out of the situation looking like a leader. You cursed under your breath, before dusting off the front of your dress, “And you were worried Murtagh. See Jamie came out looking like a,” you paused not being able to come up with a metaphor that would make sense in the 18th century, “I don’t know. He is just fine. Now you can’t be mad at me.”

 Murtagh rolled his eyes as Jamie walked up to him, “Couldn’t stay away from trouble, aye?”

 Jamie looked towards you, his face grew a knowing smile I didn’t quite understand, “Sometimes trouble finds me than I’m like a moth to flame. Y/N, I see you decided to join the gathering again.”

 “You made it sound so exciting and here you were not wrong. Though it doesn’t bode well that you got caught. And now Murtagh here is blaming me for your lack of discretion,” you use your thumb to point back at Murtagh, “And I was starting to win him over.”

 Scratching the back of his neck, leaning in to whisper, “Not everyone can be sneaky as you and not get caught.”

 “Tis right there sir,” you shoot back at him.

 Hearing a big sigh come from his partner in crime, Murtagh gave Jamie an eye roll and pulled him out of the hall, “You’ve had enough of trouble this evening, let’s go.”

 “Enjoy your evening, Y/N.”

 You shook your head, biting back a snarky comment. You could throttle the man for making everything seem so suave and charming. As Jamie and Murtagh rounded the hall entrance, the phrase you repeated to yourself, ‘your charm doesn’t work on me Jamie.’ It was slowly hitting you that, that mantra might not be as strong as you needed it to be. You looked around, feeling someone starring at you and caught eye contact with Laoghaire. And suddenly she was storming out of your eyesight. The dancing had started and you watched the mesmerizing dance of the culture. Everyone’s laughter put you at ease for a moment. Then suddenly, you were in your head missing your home and brother. You weren’t meant to be here, everything you are is fake or reserved. You couldn’t live like this and the bought of hopelessness took over your soul. In this moment, something inside you became a little toxic.

  The next morning, you were up early for the hunt. The way the night ended with the uneasiness sat on your chests as you dressed for the day. This wasn’t your place, this wasn’t your job, and it started to bother you how different the times are. You would never be respected as a woman, an unmarried woman. You tossed your hair in two French braids, per usual fashion when having a busy day. You dropped your hair piece under the bed and you ducked down to grab it to suddenly find a strange bundle. You finished with your hair and brought the bundle down to the kitchen.

 You grabbed some bread and sat the bundle on the table, “Dear what are you bringing that into this kitchen,” Mrs. Fitz yelled catching you off guard and causing you to stumble backwards.

 “I,” you paused to comprehend the situation, “I, I found it in my room, under my bed and I was going to ask it was some weird potpourri thing. What is it?”

 “It’s an ill-wish, a witch’s making,” she tossed it into the fire.

 “An ill-wish, what?”

 “Someone be wishing to bring you harm dear, what have you gotten into,” she put both her hands on your face, “Try staying out of trouble, someone has an eye to hurt you.”

 “I didn’t do anything, literally I have been making myself small at possible Mrs. Fitz,” your voice started to raise. You have done everything in your power to win people over, treat people with kindness, not start a stir when you found injustice to your gender and status. You didn’t believe in witchcraft, though it should cause you to question since you are living the 18th century, which is something you would never believe in.

 “All due respect, Mrs. Fitz, but someone is going to get their ass beat hard,” you shot catching everyone’s attention.

 “Lass, mind your tongue. That is not the language a lady speaks,” Mrs. Fitz tried to sooth you.

 You pull away from her, “No,” you start to gather your things feeling the heat of this betrayal crumble the wall you built around your true self to keep you protected from these people. Every comment, action, and lie you’ve told to keep yourself from being killed, shunned, raped, or imprisoned is bubbling out of your pours. You have reached you limit, “I am not a lady Mrs. Fitz. I do not belong here. I wear pants damn it, I swear, and I could probably kick the ass of half the men here,” you paused, “At the same time,” you paused again, “Maybe not, but I sure would die trying. I do not belong here. Look at how everyone looks at me, treats me, I’m the enemy because I’m different. I’m not part of the clans, I’m an imposter. And rather than whisper about their hatred, someone wants to cause me actual pain with this bullshit. Fuck that. I’m sorry Mrs. Fitz and pardon me, but fuck that.” Your packs were hanging from my shoulder, “Let this spread around the village, anyone that can guarantee me the name of the person who put this under my bed gets all the money I have earned over the time I’ve been here.”

 “Y/N,” Mrs. Fitz called after you. She clearly was not offended by your lewdness, but more she was concerned about what you were about to cause with your burst of feelings of revenge and anger.

 You stomped up to Angus, “Where the necklace man, I didn’t escape or leave, now give the piece back?”

 “Don’t speak to me like that lassie,” he started to feel around his body for the necklace you gave him the night before. With every pat, your already boiling anger grew. That was the only piece from your family you owned. “Might of lost-,” he started to say.

 With the beginning of his sentence, you went for your dagger lying on your waistband. Before you could pull it out, Rupert pushed your hand down holding the handle down, “Settle down Y/N, Angus gave me the necklace to watch over. He noted he would lose it.” He pushed the charm in your hand, “If that would have came out, Angus would have gutted you. Does the hunt have you on edge lass?”

 “Stupidity has me on edge Rupert and it’s not much of your business,” you stormed away to find your horse. Something had changed in you and you weren’t sure what to do about it.

 You struggled to get on your horse, when someone came up and offered you an extra push. Jamie stood in front of you and your horse, “Mrs. Fitz asked me to check on you. She shared you were upset and threatening people. I heard you tried to pull a knife on Angus, what has gotten into you woman.”

 This time you didn’t make eye contact with Jamie, “Mind your business Mister MacTavish. If I want to fight or punish someone for their actions against me, then I’ll see fit to do it. Now get out of my way, there is a boar to chase down and murdered.”

 Jamie didn’t move, keeping your horse in place, “You going to get yourself killed and as your friend, that does in fact concern me. You shouldn’t be going on the hunt like this.”

 You pushed forward with the horse causing Jamie to back up quickly, “I’ve seen Old Yeller, I get the dangers that come from a boar. Right now, you should be worried about the clansmen Mackenzie. Now if you’ll excuse me,” you started to move towards the field.

 You were fully aware he would not get the reference from the 21st century, but you did not care. The thought of taking the horse and charging out of the village to the stones drifted to your mind. But you still cared to get back to your brother at the moment and that meant you had to have a chance to survive, “Y/N,” Jamie yelled after you.

 “Leave me alone, Mister MacTavish, I have business to attend to,” you shouted back.

 Part 10

Taglist:  @doctorwhatwhenandwhere @damnedandbroken @blushingpogue @blancastans @slytherinambitious @kinky-asher @lovesanimals @bilesxbilinskixlahey

[echotrinityme]

Love Is In Bloom: Chapter 1 Unrequited love is in bloom

Henry was coughing heavily, he didn't know why he was coughing. He was feeling fine earlier when he was hanging out Charles and Rupert. Then suddenly he started feeling a tickle in the back of his throat, he hadn't thought of it as serious until he felt something...painful in his lungs. He coughed again but felt something in his mouth, he put his hand onto his mouth.

Henry gasped softly when he saw what he just spat out, it was a yellow flower. Also there was blood on his hands, he then coughed again. He went to the bathroom to throw up in the toilet, he kept throwing up until he was done. He flushed the toilet and he sat on the floor, he started to sob. Why was he coughing up flowers and blood? He was feeling fine when he was with Charles but when Rupert joined them, he felt odd.

He sighed sadly as he got up, he went out of the bathroom. He went to sit on his bed and rubbed his arms, he hoped what's he experiencing is just temporary.

The next day, Henry went to the base. He was gonna meet with Charles, he felt bad for blowing him off yesterday so he decided to make it up to him. He found him talking to Rupert, he knew Rupert wasn't too fond of him considering their history together. But, Henry had taken a liking to him. Especially after their tryst when Henry was still a thief and Rupert was still a police officer.

Yes, Henry slept with Rupert. How you may asked? Henry doesn't know but he doesn't regret it, but he suspect that Rupert doesn't feel the same way. Henry walked over to them while Charles was still rambling to Rupert, Charles stopped when he noticed Henry coming towards him.

"Hey, Hen!" said Charles, happily.

"Hello." replied Henry, smiling.

Rupert glared at Henry while he was talking with Charles, Rupert was still not a fan of Henry Stickmin. Henry was the bane of his existence ever since Rupert joined the police force, Rupert will always captured him and then Henry will escaped. Except for that one time when Henry started to flirt with him...why? Rupert was so confused but didn't reacted cause he knew Henry was pushing his buttons.

However, Henry kept pushing his buttons until Rupert had enough. Rupert decided to punished him...by fucking him. Why did Rupert decided to fuck him? Rupert doesn't know but he gave Henry quite a punishment, after that "incident", he let Henry go. Of course, Henry disappeared which relieved Rupert but also he missed Henry for some reason.

"Hey, Henry." said Rupert, slowly.

Henry turned to him in surprised, "Hi." said Henry.

Henry rubbed his arm awkwardly while not looking at Rupert, he knew Rupert still did not like him. He tried to apologized to him but he wouldn't listened, Henry doesn't blame him though. But Henry started to take a liking to Rupert, even though the feeling is not mutual. Charles started rambling again while Henry and Rupert were listening to him. Rupert contributed here and there while Henry stayed quiet.

Johnny Panzer and Dave Panpa joined the trio making Rupert happy, Henry watched Rupert as he was laughing with Dave and Johnny. Henry felt an...ugly feeling in his chest, he tried to squashed it down but that ugly feeling wouldn't go away. He felt a poke against his cheek and he turned around to find Charles poking him, Henry smiled faintly at him. Henry politely grabbed Charles' finger and set it down.

The quintet were busy talking and goofing off until Henry felt a something in his lungs again, he started coughing. Charles asked him if he was ok which Henry replied yes but Charles didn't buy it, Henry wanted him to dropped it. Henry tried covering his mouth while coughing to not give attention to himself but too late, Dave went over to Henry while Johnny and Rupert followed him.

"Henry, are you okay." asked Dave.

"Yeah."  lied Henry. "Probably getting sick."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Henry stopped coughing and gave Dave a thumbs up signaling he's fine. Dave, Johnny, and Charles nodded while Rupert did not look convinced. Something's up with Henry but before he can questioned him, Henry quickly said his goodbyes to everyone. He dashed away from them and ran to his apartment. Henry sighed in relief while he went to sat down on his couch, what's wrong with him?

He started coughing again, covering his mouth with both of his hands. He rubbed his throat and winced in pain, he headed to the kitchen to get a glass of water. He drank the water and headed back to his couch. He wondered if he should go to the doctor but decided against it, he lied down to take a nap. Maybe some sleep will make whatever it is wrong with him to go away but little did he know...

It was only the beginning.

A/N: I'm sorry if this chapter seems short but I'm trying my best. I added Johnny and Dave into the Government cause I feel like they suffered enough, also why do I keep putting Henry into these situations?

[blushing-starker]

Insanity brings me truth and you

can you guess what Peter's doing to not be understood by the guards?

It's not easy, being crazy. There are expectations to run away from, a bar to limbo under, a specific number of people one has to betray and scar. The unknowable becomes knowable, so you have to skirt the edge of that Venn diagram very carefully. Or very recklessly. Either way, it's a complex thing except for when it's not. Jesus, how infuriating to think about. The point is, the paradox that crazies carry on their shoulders? It's a fucking hassle, a tricky one and Peter is tired of it.

He sighs, lets gravity bend him backward, legs slipping dangerously off the blanket he's hung as a hammock inside his cell. Act like a psycho and you're predictable, don't act like an ax wielding murderer and whoops! Predictable. It's the downside of being insane; you leave the weary capitalist consumer mask out in the world, probably set that shit on fire and make yourself sick with the fumes. But you just replace it with the one labelled 'danger to society' and get forced to play along with that. He did what he did to avoid the world and its predetermined fate, its standards.

Peter closes his eyes, thinks of the nauseating smell on his left. Rupert, the guard that dared graze him while he came back from the shower naked, has a broken nose thanks to Ned and his loyalty to him. The idiot barely cleans the open wound and the whole cell reeks of pus because of it. He does the math of how long it's been going on for and shudders in disgust. His bare calves slip a little more.

An inhale near the front of his cage. Slow, but controlled. Not the usual. Thank God for a circus family and heightened senses.

The doctor is paying attention to him.

"Doctor Stark. Gnittor gnihtemos llems ouy nac?" Rupert grumbles from his perch on the second floor, curses a hare brained psycho that's incomprehensible. Peter hums, pleased to know that after ten months, nine days, twelve hours, and...

Breathe in. Breathe out. Focus on sinking deeper into nothing, into a yawning void. The blanket shakes and his thighs are starting to tremble. Blood is rushing to his head, veins most likely beginning to protrude. Irrelevant.

His favorite guard Stan wears a Swiss watch his wife got for him on their fortieth anniversary. It sings to him now, smooth and cool like a river. A skipping stone is thrown, tic, a fish heads towards the sound, toc. Above all the other stimuli in the room, the watch announces itself. Ten fifteen.

Ten months, nine days, twelve hours and twenty minutes into a game, his tiny gnat still hasn't caught on. Not like the charming doctor. He sees him then, behind closed eyelids, as clearly as a sweet nightmare. Tall, taller than Peter, but less strong. Wide shoulders that morph into a slim waist and a delectable ass he aches to sink his teeth into. Shapely calves from running, curiously delicate looking ankles.

Down and back again. A full head of dark hair with a dusting of silver. Dangerously clever mouth, what his aunt would call a noble nose. Agreeable cheekbones. Piercing eyes that tear his walls down, rip apart the bricks and mortar until he's scrambling on the other side, desperately, clumsily attempting to reinforce them for the millionth time. Those eyes saw the trick, the mirror reflection on his second day here, Peter offhandedly talking in reverse with Ned when they passed the new doctor. A dark gaze had pinned him in place, a spider fixed in place with its own silk against the cold dissection table.

Ned had rambled on, Peter had met a worthy playmate and the doctor had seen all he needed in that eternally prolonged glance. That very afternoon, a psychiatrist signed on as his very own voyeur.

Doctor Stark seems to be as interested in cutting him open to peek inside as Peter is in taking a dagger and comparing their hearts. He does this a lot; wonders how fate and the absence of lucky fate led them here. On opposite sides of a prison when perhaps it should be the other way around. Or perhaps there should only be Peter and Doctor Stark.

He feels himself falling, plummeting ever downward into fantasies and hazy dreams. It's not until the good doctor sharply calls out his name that he realizes he's also plummeting towards the floor. Now, MJ had warned him; had specifically said that the hammock being ten feet off the concrete ground was a bad idea. Ned had said he'd be fine and Peter loves the guy, ok? He has to do everything he can so that his best friend wins a bet over his other best friend.

Peter slightly regrets that when he's forced to arch his body backward, flip right side up in order to hit the floor on his feet instead of his face. The impact chokes the air right out of him, shakes his bones, but he doesn't react. Cracks his neck and that's all. Most of the guards were kind, some shade of understanding. They weren't harmless, though. He knows what he looks like, knows how many hours these men are cooped up with the scum of the earth.

"To answer your question," Peter leaps onto the bars of his cell, slithers higher than any sane person would and somersaults off the vertical slits, sinks into his trustworthy hammock with its trustworthy knots (MJ and Ned had tied them, one each), "yes, I do. It's less potent this time."

He stills, frowns. "How? There haven't been any changes. External or internal." No need to act like the Mad Hatter when the conversation could be had normally. Quicker and more reliable with meanings. But the doctor pauses, enunciates his next words slowly.

"Ti koot uoy erom emit yadot." God, he loved hearing Doctor Stark talk that carefully and smoothly. It was as comforting as it was uncomfortable. (He and sex don't particularly get along. It's like a headache that comes and goes; with the right medicine it can dissipate and evolve into something soothing, pleasant. With the majority of medicine, it blossoms into pain and soreness, a dry throat clogged by a thick syrup that won't leave him be no matter how much water MJ and Ned encourage him to drink. Peter isn't yet completely certain which side of his scale the doctor falls on, but he's guessing it's likely the first.)

(The man seemed to live in the grey areas; fitting that with this, too, he'd reside in the in between.)

The reverse effect is in play and he grins, genuine and wide, when he catches it. "Monsters are visiting more frequently, taking up space in the light." His nightmares had intensified recently, and they're starting to accompany him even in moments Peter knows are real; shapes drifting by the corner of his eye. As a coping tactic, he rips parts of his nails off. Not entirely, just the corners. His mind could concoct lots of things, but in his dreams his hands are always pristine.

(He hasn't caught up with it, hasn't noticed that although his nightmares have a clearness to them, a bright intensity, Peter can't shift enough focus to realize his hands aren't his own. They never are. But he usually has more pressing bodies to deal with than the good doctor's.)

Another pause, this one being done by Tony Stark, doctor and healer of men, instead of Doctor Stark, curious keeper of deranged souls. "I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe this will help." Peter peers over the edge of the grey hammock, watches with interest as the doctor approaches his cell with a glass bottle of clear liquid sloshing inside. The other man stops an inch away from the bars, looks up at Peter.

There's a slow tension simmering between them, something as thick and addictive as honey. There's scientific curiosity, a desire to seek out and maybe comprehend the unknown lurking inside their mirror image, as other and as alike as oneself. But there is also a gleam of something he's afraid of acknowledging in Doctor Stark's eyes. A madness once tucked away steadily unraveling itself with each glance they share.

Peter returns the look, unblinking and thinking. " 'If you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.' " A lesson Nietzsche offered to those wise enough, sane enough to live blind.

The doctor raises an eyebrow, is otherwise still. Sometimes, if Peter considers their current predicament for too long, his grasp on his masks loosens, and the Spider begins to spin its deadly thread round and round its very own body. He sees a guard exchange money with a partner; the crazy quota has, he guesses, been filled for the week. And they had such a nice streak going on, too. Oh, well. This web is unavoidable anyways.

He pitches himself forward, is the one who controls the descent instead of gravity this time. Letting the air rush up to meet him, he inhales, tastes a distinct sharpness around him. Crouching, Peter takes it all in, every last detail. Looks, really looks, at the doctor and suspects.

As if he were none the wiser, he calmly heads to the front of the cell. Meets the doctor at the divide and wonders what it'll be. Wonders if he'll rise higher than ash and flame, an acrobat testing the fates by flying just seconds ahead of death. Doctor Stark hands him the bottle and he can see now, tiny pieces of lavender. A distraction for the guards. "That should keep the monsters in the dark. Use it before you got to sleep and tuck away your hair."

Like a schoolgirl with a crush, he self consciously brings a hand to his curls. They're getting a bit long, but the warden only allows haircuts once a month or two. "I don't have anything to use." Digging into his lab coat, the other man retrieves a single black stick.

Well, to everyone else it's a hair pin. Peter knows the truth though, can see it and smell it and very nearly touch it. As it is, he gently plucks the items out of elegant hands and refuses to look at them. Looking draws attention. Doctor Stark gazes at his face, eyes flickering in a rehearsed way around his own, but not into them. That's alright, he understands.

"The lack of movement around your face should also help." The question of why is out before he can reel it in and act as a sane, normal person. Christ, he could handle crazy, not rude. He would have to practice being in control so as not to slip up when the doctor is around. Said doctor cocks his head, doesn't have to do anything more for Peter to get the message: go on, ask the devil why he made the deal.

Peter B Parker does not back down when intrigued. "Why are you helping me sleep better?"

Why help me escape?

"It's my duty." Three words. Not the explicit declaration of affection typical, normal, dull people receive from an admirer or partner. Not a grand proclamation of wanting what the heart wants, or a sonnet regarding the connection between star crossed paramours. Simple, short, concise; enough to turn to religion, to sanctity and salvation if it means hearing it again. He'd do anything, including putting on a discarded mask from his past if it gets him what he desires. Peter would suffer through sanity for this man. He would if it means hearing what sounds silent to those around them.

You're my duty. Whatever happens tonight, Doctor Stark believes it's his duty to see it through. To see him through, in a way.

"Why would you accept?" Ah, silly doc thinking any of his principles have changed since the first time they met, since the first time he brought fire to life and gave death in return. Peter smiles, brings forth the prisoner that had not seen the light of day in almost a decade.

(His uncle often said Peter's greatest gift to the world was his smile, his true smile. His aunt said it was the final move needed to capture a king and make him his pawn.)

"Why, doc, you know I hate to be bored." Call him a psycho, a freak, a sick, pitiful creature. Call him anything and everything and maybe those words would ring true. But Peter will never allow himself to be bored, not when there's so much fun to be had. Especially with a doctor as crazy as he is. "This looks...promising."

" 'He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster.' " The first part of Nietzsche's warning.

"Nietzsche didn't understand; those who fought monsters were already fated to become what they struggled to defeat. They believed salvation could be found by killing the monsters outside, but all they did was feed the ones inside."

Anthony Stark, the truest version, grins at him, all glinting eyes, sharp teeth and a crooked smile. Peter Parker, armed with a match, gasoline and soon to be glass shards, grins right back. In this instant, being crazy isn't such a hassle. After all, he has someone to share the crazy with now.

[jennycalendar]

buddy i am DELIGHTED you are watching ted lasso it just keeps getting better

like i’ve been saying that while i’m not sure if ted lasso is going to become an all-time favorite of mine, i don’t like to make that distinction too soon, i certainly think it’s one of the best shows i’ve ever watched. i’ve seen all of it except the very latest episode (i started rewatching it because i got bored and haven’t gotten back to the end yet lol) and i really don’t have a single complaint lmao. like all the jokes land, emotional scenes hit, pacing is excellent, plot lines get tied up well, character development makes sense, acting is good… you can just tell how much care they have for this show and it’s so so solid, i can’t think of another show that’s simply this airtight on quality

and i am very much enjoying your posts about it lmaoo

getting to these lovely asks finally to say I FEEL THE SAME WAY like it is just MAGICAL to watch this show because its love for the characters is MATCHED by its love for the audience! like one of the things with btvs that was always a knife in my gut is that it always felt like the writers were laughing at us for caring about the characters -- that they were always trying to belittle us for wanting to see the characters grow in a positive direction. granted there is definitely merit in a story that's tragic, but the vibes i always got from joss especially were those of a man who took particular delight in inflicting pain on his audience. i did not enjoy that aspect of btvs at all.

and then there are shows that do genuinely love and appreciate the audience, but sometimes kinda shy away from creating a place where positivity can coexist with the more fucked up things that people can do and be -- like, the good people do good things and only good things, and even if they do bad things, the bad things will inevitably be Growth Opportunities.

ted lasso creates this narrative that is so resonant with me because it is about kindness being something that is cultivated. ted himself makes the choice to be kind -- it isn't just like he's this whimsical man from kansas who is magically changing everything he touches because of something innate inside him! what he does comes from a place of intelligent compassion and that is soooooo special and unique -- and juxtaposed with these very real and human reactions to that kind of unflinching warmth it creates this DELICIOUS story that feels like an actual hug.

but it also doesn't shy away from all of the fucked up things that people are capable of doing -- the very real hurt that rebecca is clumsily attempting to perpetuate, for instance. what makes it so special is how multi-layered rebecca's attempt to hurt rupert is -- how it is performative, how she is so lonely, how she is trying to solve that loneliness by making someone she loved hurt the way that they hurt her -- AND how all of this shit is TEXTUAL and something that the show LEANS INTO. makes me INSANE that this is a show that ENCOURAGES a close read, while also being so surface-level charming and funny! there's so much going on. i am in love.

[comradesummers]

Top 5 buffy characters and top 5 angel characters?

Hi, thanks for asking!

Pretty sure that I’ve answered some version of this before but I’m not going to pretend I’m even remotely consistent about these things, so here we are.

Buffy Characters:

5. Rupert Giles

Giles is one of those characters that frustrates me a lot. He’s part of an inherently exploitative system and I’m not sure that, until the final episode, he ever truly extricates himself from that system. The best parts of Giles are his rebellion against the council and the worst parts of him are his ideological ties to them. But that’s what makes him so interesting. Because the man who defies what he’s been taught and loves this group of misfit children like a father is always at odds with the ruthless utilitarian he thinks he has to be. It’s a fascinating series long conflict, and though it’s not always handled as well as I would like, it does always make for a wonderfully flawed but thoroughly lovable character.

4. Willow Rosenberg

Willow is a character I struggle with because she’s the one that reminds me the most of myself. Some of these similarities are rather superficial: we’re both Jewish lesbians that pride ouselves on our academic merits. But on a deeper level, I find Willow’s insecurity and her desperate need to appear strong and important and worthy at all costs to be so painfully relatable that I have a hard time engaging with her at all. I don’t need to explain how incredible her storyline is over seven seasons, how much she grows and changes and evolves, because you know all that already. There’s no denying she’s an incredible character. And the fact that she resonates so deeply with me to the point that she makes me uncomfortable is maybe the best demonstration of what a good character she is.

3. Faith Lehane

Faith was initially introduced as the dark mirror to Buffy (which is why I believe her to be fundamentally tied to BtVS in a way that she isn’t to AtS). But her great accomplishment throughout Buffy and Angel was her evolution into her own character, separate from Buffy. And that’s also Faith’s character arc. At first, she is only able to compare herself with Buffy. She’s angry and jealous of Buffy because she believes that Buffy has everything that she never had and rightfully deserves. And, in many ways, she’s right to be angry. Yet her choice to direct her anger and resentment towards Buffy, as opposed to the real culprits (the council for one, along with all of the adults in her life) is what leads her to destroy herself. It’s only after she’s able to recognize her own self-worth outside of Buffy that she can truly do good and be good and be with Buffy. It’s a remarkable journey to behold and I love her so much.

2. Tara Maclay

I liked Tara well enough before season 6, but season 6 was when I fell completely in love with her. She becomes the show’s anchor that season as the only responsible adult who’s making good decisions, even when those decisions are extremely painful for her, like breaking up with Willow. And in a season dedicated to every other character fucking up, she’s truly a breath of fresh air. But more than just her function as a contrast to the other characters, season 6 really emphasized for me how beautifully and subtly she had developed throughout the show. Her ability to stand up to Willow is such a stark contrast to the Tara who was unable to stand up to her father (not that I’m blaming her for not being able to confront her abuser, I’m just pointing out how the contrast between these scenes demonstrates amazing growth on Tara’s part). Tara initially has no sense of self-worth, but as she develops, she comes to understand her own value and refuses to allow anyone to diminish it. It’s a beautiful, lovely story, and I will forever be bitter that she didn’t get the happy ending she so richly deserved.

1. Buffy Summers

Buffy Summers is my favorite fictional character of all time, as is evident by pretty much every single post on this blog.

Angel Characters:

5. Winfred Burkle

I have some issues with Fred. This is mainly because Joss Whedon’s obsession with this particular type of nerdy and adorable female characters makes me uncomfortable. But Amy Acker is a great actress and I can’t help but find her charming regardless. I think the episode that really sold me on Fred was Fredless. Like, the idea that she can’t face her parents because she doesn’t want to admit to them or to herself what she’s gone through is really heartbreaking. It’s the first time I was able to see Fred as more of a character than a caricature and I realized that I really liked that character. Also, fuck the writers for killing off their only remaining female character just so that Wesley could manpain about it.

4. Lilah Morgan

Lilah is by far the best villain on the show. She was, with very few exceptions, one of the only bad guys who was actually fun to watch. I particularly love that the writers never felt the need to redeem her in order to make her sympathetic. And she is sympathetic. You feel for her a whole lot, probably because Stephanie Romanov is such a pro. But she’s still a terrible, evil person through and through and I love that for her. Why the writers thought it would be a good idea to kill her off is truly beyond me.

3. Lorne

Another character who deserved better (sensing a theme here). Lorne is such an interesting, layered character with a wonderfully bizarre backstory and an interesting way of seeing the world. Yet, despite how wonderful he is, he was always pushed to the background to further another character’s story. And that’s not even mentioning whatever the writers thought they were doing with him in season 5. Also, why couldn’t he have been openly queer? Anyway, RIP Andy Hallet, who was an absurdly talented man who managed to create this incredible character in spite of all the writers’ bullshit. 

2. Charles Gunn

Gunn was never just the muscle. The man ran a neighborhood watch/vampire hunting ring while he was still in his early 20′s (I assume? Do we actually know how old he is?). He’s a strategist and a leader in his community. He’s funny and charming and a good man and he deserved so much more love and care and development because he’s truly a fascinating character. But all the writers saw was a black guy who made quips and I am still so angry about it. Anyway, I love Gunn, he is, by far, the best man on the show and possibly in the entirety of the Buffyverse.

1. Cordelia Chase

Cordelia was pretty much the only reason I decided to watch Angel. She’s the best part of the whole show, her character growth is absolutely phenomenal, and I love how she grows as a person while still remaining wholly herself. I love her so much and I’ll forever be bitter about what the writers did to her and how terribly Whedon treated Charisma Carpenter.

[themadauthorshatter]

Alright, everyone, LET'S GET CHARLES HOME! I've been looking forward to this part, not even joking 😁😃

LIGHTNING FAST CATCH UP: Galeforce has acquired the means to get Charles home(thank goodness), while Henry tells Charles something that he didn't need to know in his current circumstances. Rather than make him come running toward Henry, it made Charles's resolve that much stronger.

For all the juicy details, catch up with the links provided:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4 and revision

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Now then, LET'S GO!!!

We start off with Charles again, but in a TV perspective, POV shot where he repeatedly blinks blinks on a dark room, each time resulting in Henry seemingly teleporting closer like a vampire or like Five, minus the blink sound he makes.

At some point, Charles blinks and Henry disappears. Charles looks around and finds Henry sitting next to him and tucking some hair out of his face and then reaches forward to civer his eyes.

What's out of this perspective? Well, I'll tell you. It's a close up of Henry holding Charles, who's got his hands tied above him(wink, wink for astute viewers).

Henry leans close to Charles go whisper something in gis ear, but we don't head it because a slap in the face wakes up Charles.

It's the next day, Charles is still gagged and restrained, and that slap did nothing but send him into a small panic.

Who slapped him? Right, who's been watching him for a while.

"Morning," Right says. "Sleep well?"

Charles glares at him instead.

Right counters with a bored look. "Cute. Think you're doing yourself any favors?"

Charles only continues to glare, because it's all he can do.

Right mimes punching him and Charles gives possibly the worst flinch anyone can see- well, anyone except Right, who chuckles at his reaction.

"Not so tough now, are you?"

Charles kicks at Right, but Right grabs his foot in his cybernetic hand.

Right narrows his eyes(eye, I guess), and tightens his grip on Charles's foot, even to hurt, even through the dress shoes on.

Charles yelps behind the tape and tries pulling his foot free, but only results in Right further tightening his grip.

"Better stop that now, kid. It's not gonna help you."

That's when the door opens and Henry walks in, gesturing for Right to politely leave him alone with Charles.

Right drops Charles's foot and nods, obliging to leave the two alone.

Once the door closes and Right's gone, Henry turns to Charles and holds up a bandaged hand, sciwling at him.

"I guess your bite's worse than your bark."

Charles glares at Henry and nods at the duct tape still in his mouth before raising both eyebrows; 'I'd do it again, if I could. Try me.'

Henry holds a hand against his forehead and sighs, shaking his head.

"When will you ever learn, Charles? Really, when?"

Charles turns his head slightly and gives a, "Hm?"

Henry strides toward the wall next to Charles, and Charles, knowing there's nothing cybernetic about Henry, kicks at him.

He gets electrocuted for it, Henry watching in what seems to be disappointment and that 'you're making me do this' narcissism.

Charles screams behind the tape and convulses for a while before Henry stops.

Charles groans as it stops, his head hanging even as Henry approaches, lifts his chin, and snaps his fingers to get his attention.

"Charles? Hey, stay with me. We need to talk."

Charles only gives him a weary look before weakly glaring.

Henry fights the urge to roll his eyes and moves both his hands to either side of Charles's face.

"Think this is going to do anything? How long have you been here? And when will you learn that you're not leaving?"

Charles shakes his head to get Henry off him, but Henry holds on and only leans closer.

"I told you before, Charles. You're not leaving, so drop the idea that you will."

Charles headbutts him, which makes Henry stumble back and holds his now bleeding nose.

Henry glares and raises his fist.

Charles inhales sharply and flinches, his entire body tensing as he waits for a punch or to be electrocuted again.

Neither happen and Henry walks around Charles and holds him from behind, arms around his chest and waist.

"You need to stop," Henry says. "All your doing is hurting yourself for nothing."

Charles wriggles to get Henry off him, but it doesn't work, evidenced by Henry wrapping his arms tighter and holding Charles close enough that Henry is physically against Charles, like his chest is touching Charles's back.

Regardless, it makes Henry snicker. "Guess you're not listening." He's silent for a second before an idea comes to him.

Henry lets Charles go and walks back to the wall, where he pushes a button that releases Charles fully.

Charles falls and fumbles around for a little bit before Henry speaks up.

"Before you decide to attack me, I want you to know that this is your only chance to get out." Henry nods to the panel used to get in and out of the cell. "I won't stop you from trying. If you get out, I'll take you back to Earth and surrender myself and the clan to the government."

Charles's eyes widen and Henry leans against the wall, nodding again at the panel before watching Charles shakily approach it and bring his hand to it.

He's seen people open the door using the panel. Hell, Henry SHOWS him the pattern used to open the door. He's seen it, he was paying attention, but he doesn't fully remember it.

Charles uses the pattern he's seen everyone else use, but the door stays shut. His eyes widen as his chest hollows, shaking his head and fighting a sob as he tries again. Nothing.

Henry smirks as Charles tries again and again to open the door, using both hands, using more than one finger, even using his knuckle, all the while Charles is becoming so upset and frustrated that he actually bursts into tears and just starts trying random patterns.

Henry gives a sympathetic hum. "That's unfortunate. Guess you don't have the right fingerprints."

Charles charges at Henry, but Henry quickly pushes himself off the wall, grabs and spins Charles around, throwing him to the ground, putting his shoe on his neck to keep him down; Henry doesn't stomp on Charles's neck or grind his shoe in, it's just more of a threat than anything.

Charles still tries to get up, though, shouting at Henry behind the tape. Henry quickly kneels down, remives his shoe, and holds Charles down by his wrists from on top of him.

Charles continues to try to break free, until Henry pushes his wrists down and leans closer to Charles.

"I gave you your chance, didn't I? You. Are not. Leaving. I'll make sure you don't."

Charles, even though his eyes are puffy and red, glares at Henry, non-verbally telling him to go to Hell.

Henry simply brushes some hair out of his face before restraining him once more.

"Make sure you don't bark or bite for a while. Don't want the General brining the army with him."

With that Henry leaves.

Charles sighs and rests his head against his arm, staring at the panel as he lets tears fall from his eyes.

TIME JUMPCUT TO EARTH!!!! Approximately a month has past, maybe less. The prototype has been completed, tested, and approved, with a team of Galeforce, Canterbury, and maybe three others joining, maybe less. Meanwhile, Henry has continued to mindfuck Charles, who hopes Henry gets fucked over by the clan.

On Earth, it is decided Rupert, Victoria, and Amelia Esteban. The twins have volunteered to go, but were immediately dismissed; Galeforce orders Victoria to keep an eye on them, so they don't leave or try sneaking with them.

With the sapphire and guns and ammo loaded, they head off to a take-off point and set off to get Charles back; you'll see what the guns are for in a minute😉.

With Charles, he's getting showered and cleaned up again, but this time is given his old clothes back, which have been washed. He also gets a hair trim, because Henry, who's cutting his hair, likes him better with the short. He's a little more bruised from getting aggressive and trying to be defiant, and his lips are chapped raw by the tape, wrists raw as well from being restrained.

Speaking of, he gets put in a simple pair of hand cuffs this time, his hands in front of him.

Once it's all said and done, Henry holds Charles's face and caresses his cheeks, noting the very upset and hollow look he has.

"Leave everything to me. It'll be over before you know it, and then it'll be me and you here. No more cells, after today."

Charles lowers Henry's hands, closes his eyes, and takes a breath as he leans up to kiss Henry, which shocks him beyond all reason before returning it, holding the back of Charles's head. TV perspective, we don't see how passionate it is, we just see Charles's hands on Henry's chest, which stray to his coat(HMMMMMM!?)

After a little while, there's a knock on the door and they pull away.

"Henry?" Ellie calls from the other side of the door. "They're here."

Henry sighs and turns to a still slightly panting Charles, smirking at him.

"Show time."

CUT TO A LOUNGE AREA NEAR THE 'EXIT,' THE ONE FOR THE GOVERNMENT, WHERE THE DESTROYER IS WAITING!!!!

Everyone is tense. They're all armed, all ready to rittle the other side with holes, if need be.

Beside Galeforce, Canterbury, Rupert, and Amelia is the crate, where the replica sits inside, still in one piece(thank goodness).

Before anyone can make any introductions, Ellie and Henry strut their way in with Charles in toe, eyes on the floor.

When I said Charles is bruised, I mean there's a bruise under his eye, on the bridge on his nose, the side of his jaw, cheek, some on his throat(because he got mouthy), and his lip is split.

At the sight of him, Galeforce and Rupert almost race toward him.

Big mistake because Charles flinches back while Toppats aim at them with semi-automatics.

Henry also pulls Charles closer to him, smug-ass smirk growing.

Rupert goes for his gun, but Galeforce stops him.

"Don't," he says under his breath.

Rupert backs down and both rejoining Canterbury and Victoria.

Satisfied with the cooperation, Henry takes his place with the Toppats, his hand on Charles's shoulder.

"General."

It surprises the group that Henry doesn't sign to them, but Galeforce keeps his eyes locked on him.

"Henry."

Henry nods. "Been a while. You look good."

Rupert, fed up with Henry for getting his friend killed, other friend kidnapped by the Toppat Clan(Dave's free, btw, he's just at the home he and Rupert share because he's scared to go out), getting screwed over countless times, and seeing his best friend injured, hunted, kidnapped, and tortured, snaps at him.

"Shut it! Give Charles back or we'll blow this station to kingdom come with you, this clan, and this stupid gem inside it!"

"Price, stand down," Amelia barks.

Rupert whips his head to her, Henry, and back again, biting his tongue as he, indeed, backs off.

Galeforce nods at them both and taps the crate with the replica sapphire inside. "Before we waste any more of your time, here's the sapphire, like you asked."

Henry's smirk drops slightly at the fun being over, but he nods again.

"Right." He sighs and turns to Charles, who's staring at the floor with his fists clenched. "A deal's a deal."

As Toppats take the crate, Henry removes the handcuffs and stands back, letting Charles rub his wrists, once the metal's gone.

"It was fun, having Charles here."

That's when Henry draws a gun and aims at Galeforce.

The group jump right into action, drawing their guns as well.

Before any shots are fired, Charles shouts as he takes Chekov's knife out of his sleeve and slams it into Henry's side, making Henry scream as he fires the gun at the ceiling and falls.

HELL. BREAKS. LOOSE.

Ellie, Reginald, and numerous other Toppats race to Henry's side, Right and the other Toppats draw their guns and start shooting, and the group makes a run for it, Charles following.

No time to take cover and continue because Canterbury takes a bullet to the calf, Amelia gets into a tussle, and Rupert and Galeforce concert them both and Charles, who had to get the bullet out of Canterbury's calf with the knife(don't worry, he wiped it off as much as he could, before doing so.).

Yeah. There's a little bit of a firefight, which even includes a Toppat aiming at Galeforce before Charles races in front of him.

The Toppat decides, 'Fuck all,' and aims at Charles, but Henry shouts at him to hold his fire.

The team quickly make a run for it, the Toppat shooting Charles anyway, and barely missing him.

Keyword: BARELY, evidenced by Charles holding a bleeding ear.

They get to the Destroyer right as they're being shot at, loading up and leaving, but not without a paying gift, courtesy of Charles:

A shot to one of their satellites, which breaks it.

Kind of a rushed escape, I apologize, I'm not good at impromptu escapes.😅

Regardless, while the team finally takes a breather on the ride back to Earth, and Amelia wraps Canterbury's wound, Charles looks out one of the windows and watches as the station shrinks further into the distance.

Rupert sees him staring and gives a small, nervous laugh. "You good back there, Charles? You've been quiet."

Charles rigidly turns and stares at all of them, though Canterbury's kind enough to give a wave.

"Is... is this... real?"

They all turn to him, even Galeforce, who gestures Rupert to take control of flying for a little while.

Galeforce leaves his seat and throws his arms around Charles, who tenses, and both find out that the other is violently trembling.

"It's real. You're going home, son."

The pure, unbridled reflief Charles feels is immeasurable as he lets out a shuddering breath, which turns into laughter before he passes out.

Back at the orbital station, Henry's done getting patched up and his resting in his room, with an arm over his eyes as he lies on his bed.

Ellie's leaning against the wall next to him, uneasy, but still there to make sure he's alright.

"At least we got the sapphire."

Henry moves his hand until it's over one eye and, after a moment, gives her a small smile and nods.

"Sorry about Charles, by the way."

Henry sighs and sits up, grunting. "He'll be back. The General's going to see that his most experienced pilot has all the best qualities of a thief or a criminal and will leave Charles alone, with no one to run back to, but the clan."

Ellie huffs/snorts at that. "You really want the guy who stabbed you to be a member of the clan?"

"What else is he going to do?"

They exchange smirks and get calls from Sven via ear pieces in their top hats, though Henry's is on his desk.

"Chief? Right Hand Lady? You might want to come to the treasurie."

Ellie and Henry's smirks drop and we cut to the two arriving and weaving through a crowd of pale faced Toppats.

Once they reach the front, Ellie gasps and Henry's eyes widen.

The replica is broken, shattered.

TV perspective, we see the Toppat that grazed Charles shot twice, the second shot being the graze. The FIRST shot, however, made the bullet break though the crate and get lodged it the replica, which was then dropped by accident as it was being put away; they were putting it in a high container.

Everyone turns to Henry, who's wide eyed and clenching a shaking fist.

He slowly looks up and at the Emerald he'd stolen with the Clan, and asks them all a question.

"Where is he?"

He doesn't have the sapphire, and probably won't be having it, but he'll have something else instead to make up for it:

Charles.

[ad1thi]

@starklysteve me?? spamming you w recs because i love talking about my ships?? more likely than you think :)) (here’s some rhodeytony to get you started on what is objectively the best tony ship)

i place your hands around my neck:  @fanfictiongreenirises

"Rhodey could practically feel his lungs getting heavier again, weighed down by roots of plants that he’d thought would never take hold in him again."

Or: the one where Rhodey's been pining over Tony for much longer than either of them realised and develops the Hanahaki disease

Pretend We’re In Love (The Heartache Still Hurts): @marvelingjules

Rhodey's dad is dying, and what he's always wanted is for Rhodey to be happily married. Tony and Rhodey were best friends, and haven't spoken in years. But after a chance meeting at the airport, and a desperate, insane idea on Rhodey's part, they end up pretending to be engaged.

But how much of it is really pretend?

i can’t seem to get a grip, no matter how i live with it:  @psikeval

Tony knows he's got no business being a father.

A Million Shades of Blue: @notfknapplicable

“I just know that if I could get to wherever he is, I could find him. Dead or alive, I'd bring him back to us.”

James Rhodes will never stop searching for Tony Stark.

Twenty Five Years: @notfknapplicable (part of a series)

Nobody knows how long this has actually been going on. (Tony Stark has pretty much been in a monogamous relationship since he was 18 years old.)

Leave The Light On: @notfknapplicable (part of a series)

He was never doing this for fun. He'd just wanted to stay awake. And whatever you do, please don't tell that guy he's been fucking. He kinda likes him.

coloured in sun: @heleus

The one in which Anthony Edward Stark, having just reached the warm age of seventeen, realizes that he's in love with his best friend.

(The idea is terrifying.)

the planets that bend us: @deathsweetqueen

When Antonia Margaret Stark wakes up on her sixth birthday, it’s to the words: I didn’t get any sleep last night after that fucking lawn mower decided that 7 in the morning would be a perfect time for him to start his day, right outside my room.

She runs a thumb over the long string of words, wrapping around her wrist like a thick leather band.

She smiles.

She’s fourteen when she meets James Rupert Rhodes for the first time.

Written for the "more than a partner" square (S3) for the Tony Stark Bingo 2019 and the "soulmate" square for the Iron Husbands Bingo 2019

we rattle together in a bed of honey: @deathsweetqueen

Toni first met James Rhodes in Cellular Neurophysiology and Computing, when she was fourteen and trying very hard to stay in the shadows. She stumbles into the classroom, clutching her books and binders and pencil case close to her chest, as she stares at everything, wide-eyed and hungry and terrified. She seizes on the contempt, the confusion, the incredulity of the other freshman who look at her like she’s an incongruity – she’s used to that look, all that hate and derision.

She eats it up like chocolate cake.

Much to her luck, all the seats are filled, all except for one towards the middle of the row, a table shared only by a tall, handsome black boy, sleeping on top of the counter.

a winding road that stretches to the truth: @/coulddaughter (this author ostensibly has a tumblr but im unable to locate it -- so if anyone knows what their tumblr is please let me know so i can tag them!)

“Why do you need a date? Also, no offence, but why did you come to me? I stole, like, four of your girlfriends and at least two boyfriends, remember.”

“I do remember that, Tony,” said Jim, pinching the bridge of his nose. “No, I need you to come on a date with me.”

Love in the Eyes:  @child-of-sunshine

The moment each of the Avengers realized Tony and Rhodey were in love.

The Curious Case Of The Discarded Condom:  @/AssvengersArsemble

Natasha, Clint and Steve get just a little nosy about Tony's love life. Tony finds it extremely amusing they can't see what's right under their noses.

takes a lot of love and compliance: @gyzym

She's born breech, feet kicking out before the rest of her screams free; she's born breech, and never stops running. (Rule 63!Tony)

Targeted Persuasion: @galwednesday

Jim opened Tony's most formal closet and started pulling out tuxedos. "Put one of these on.”

"Why?"

"We're getting married."

Tony froze. "No, we're not."

"Oh yes we are." Jim tossed three tuxedos onto the bed. Three was a good number of options, enough for Tony to make a choice, but not so many that he'd get lost analyzing the ramifications of navy pinstripes vs. charcoal paisley. Tony did best with clear, specific expectations rather than an unlimited universe of possibilities that he would inevitably filter through his neuroses and obsess over, and Jim was really kicking himself for not considering that, oh, ten years ago when they’d first started this, but there was no point in beating himself up about it now when he could put that energy towards solving the problem instead. "You brought this on yourself, Tones. Pick a damn tux."

Five thousand roses: @/forestgreen

She is broken and all the more dangerous for it. The world should tread carefully around the shards of her former self lest they cut themselves on Antonia Stark's sharp edges.

A Guide to Handling the Unhandleable Tony Stark:  @/nightrider101 (this is ab a/b/o verse)

Written for the following prompt on the Avengers Kink meme: The rest of the Avengers assume Tony is an unbound Omega by the way he acts. He's reckless and carefree and does what he wants. Imagine their surprise when they find out that Rhodey is Tony's Alpha. They're all confused at the way Rhodey lets Tony act and how they can be away from each other for long periods of time and Rhodey's just like 'He didn't want to give up his career and I didn't want to give up mine. And I gave up trying to tell Tony what to do years ago.'

It’s Not Bacon Until It Ceases To Be Bacon: @sobebold

Tony has lived with his best friend Rhodey for fifteen years, and everything is perfect.

Until Rhodey finally gets a boyfriend, and Tony's world gets turned upside down.

by any name: @machi-kun

Tony calls him ‘mine’, sometimes.

And he also calls him platypus, honeybear, sugarplum, all those stupid nicknames; but James’ favorite will always be ‘mine’.

Tutor Me: @wisiaden

Tony really wants James Rhodes to be his math tutor. The guy was hot, and if he had to play dumb, well, he can say he hates math.

run and hide: @/starksrhodey

Tony may or may not have a crush on football captain James Rhodes.

Or, Tony is extremely insecure, Pepper knows best, Steve likes to bake, Bucky loves red heads, and Rhodey keeps trying to talk to Tony.

This Is The Real Life: @blancheludis

It takes doing the laundry for Tony to realize he is completely, irrevocably in love with Rhodey. Who knew that the way to Tony Stark's heart is to teach him how to wash his clothes.

Anything For You Darling: @areiton

Tony is sitting on the balcony of his palace in Malibu, and Rhodey hates it, more than he's ever hated anything, watching his best friend stare at the water, limmed by the sun and utterly alone.

"She's dead," Tony says, before Rhodey can ask and he feels his breath catch, his heart stumble.

There's--

Grief. For pretty, troubled Maya with her big eyes.

Heartbreak. For a sweet infant who will never know the mother who gave him up, whose life will never be exposed, now.

Relief. Because Harley is safe. Safe. Gods, he's safe.

or

Rhodey helps Tony raise his son.

it goes like this (just like heroin): @quandongcrumble

He’s twenty-six and you’re twenty-eight and you get a midnight phone call from Obadiah and between the two of you, you manage to beg and bully until you can fly back to the States and sit beside the white hospital bed while they say words like heroin and accidental overdose and that Tony should pull through but Tiberius might not wake up.

It goes like this—for almost sixteen years Tony’s addiction problems are a blight on Rhodey’s relationship with him. Friendships crack and trust is shattered, over and over again.

motor oil and coconut oil: @/halfasgoodasanything

James loves his best friend. He's entirely supportive of his friendship and his almost relationship with Steve Rogers. He is! He is. Carol and Pepper seem to think otherwise, but he's cool. Loving Tony doesn't mean no one else can. Even if he wanted to.

lost and found: @starkslovemail 

“Are you lost?”

Tony jumped at the voice cutting into his thoughts. Turning around, he saw another teen, maybe a year or two older than him, decked out in Team USA gear. He shook his head, flashing what he hoped was a disarming smile, “Nope.”

“Are you sure about that?” The athlete raised a disbelieving brow as he stared down at Tony. “You’ve been walking up and down this hallway for the past ten minutes, and the least embarrassing reason why is being lost.”

The blunt honesty startled a laugh out of Tony. He grinned cheekily, rocking back on his heels, “Guess I’m lost then.”

--

Written for the RhodeyTony Mini-Bang! Art can be seen on twitter here!

two boy geniuses walk into one frat house: @starkslovemail (part of a series)

There were too many white people at this damn party.

The Other 'Mr Stark': Iron Man’s Mysterious Paramour:  @presidentrhodes 

Clint leans over to Tony and whispers. “For the record, I know you’re lying. You’re describing the perfect man and he doesn’t exist. You might as well say you’re dating Superman because at least Christopher Reeve was a looker.“(Based on this prompt: Tony keeps telling the avengers how awesome his husband is but they don't believe he exists because it has been months and they still haven't met him yet and then finally, Rhodey comes home.)